Chapter 114 Big Storm

The third lady in the mansion was pregnant, and her family members came to visit. The old lady was very happy, and she took advantage of the holiday of the girls' private school to invite several opera troupes from the capital to perform in the palace at her own expense.

With Lu Ji's arrangement, Qin Xiaoning was also invited.

The party was arranged in the Madam's Yonghe Hall. The Madam's courtyard was large, and there was a flower hall behind the hall, which was specially used for the Madam to grow flowers or listen to operas.

The taps in the hall were burning hot, so the women took off their cloaks and sat in the hall wearing only their skirts.

The third lady of the East Palace and several unmarried girls were also invited. The lady-in-waiting sat at the top, with the distinguished guest Wang Fengyi and the eldest lady of the Wang family, Jiang, sitting on either side of the lady-in-waiting. The wife of the Duke, the second lady and the third lady were at the bottom, and the eldest lady Li Lanchun, the girls from the two palaces and Qin Xiaoning were at the bottom.

The girls from the East Mansion met Wang Fengyi for the first time, and they kept whispering in the ears of the fifth and sixth girls:

"The girl from Wang Clan of Langya is indeed extraordinary."

"Is she going to live in the West Mansion permanently? Do grandma and aunt have any plans?"

Several girls were curious and talked quietly, glancing at Qin Xiaoning from the corner of their eyes from time to time.

Wang Fengyi is too outstanding, and Lu Ji is also outstanding. The man is unmarried and the woman is unmarried, so everyone can't help but talk about them as a couple.

Qin Xiaoning felt annoyed when she heard this, but she pretended not to hear anything and sat quietly eating fruit. It was not until the boss of the troupe presented the opera score and asked the lady to choose an opera that the girls turned their attention.

The Sixth Girl complained along with the other girls, "Just wait and see. Grandmother will definitely order 'Golden House Full of Jade' or 'The Great Palace'. It's so boring."

The old lady sitting at the top naturally didn't know what her granddaughters were thinking. She took the opera score but didn't keep it to herself. Instead, she handed it to Wang Fengyi who was sitting beside her: "Girl Feng, have some."

Wang Fengyi naturally declined, but the lady insisted: "You order, this meeting was originally held for you."

Wang Fengyi couldn't refuse, so she obeyed the order. Seeing her flipping through the opera music, the girls sitting below began to rejoice in their hearts.

The Sixth Miss whispered to the Fifth Miss beside her: "My cousin must be like us, she doesn't like to listen to those old-fashioned and lively plays."

The fifth girl whispered, "I'm looking forward to her playing The Romance of the West Chamber."

The Sixth Miss gave her a meaningful look, and the Third Miss from the East Palace followed suit and said, "Otherwise, we can also play The Peony Pavilion."

Speaking of these little dramas of love, the Sixth and Third Miss joked, "I heard that Song Qingshu, after winning the third place in the imperial examination, actually went to another prefecture to serve as an official? You and the Ninth Miss vowed to find a son-in-law from the list, but he ran away?"

The third girl immediately said anxiously, "Don't mention that Shen guy to me. Humph! Our Lu family is such a powerful family, but he doesn't know what's good for him."

The fifth girl covered her mouth and joked, "Don't worry, third sister. No matter where he goes, he is still a student of our Lu family's private school. No matter where he goes, he is still a student of our Lu family and a member of our family."

The third girl rolled her eyes at the two of them and said, "Stop talking about those useless things and just listen to the show."

The Sixth Miss took the opportunity to look at Wang Fengyi and said, "Cousin, are you in a dilemma? There are so many good plays and you don't know which one to choose."

The fifth girl said, "What's the problem? As a girl, who doesn't like to listen to The Peony Pavilion?"

The girls were looking forward to it, but unexpectedly Wang Fengyi opened her red lips and said to the theater owner, "Let's start with 'Da Deng Dian'."

The girls below immediately looked disappointed upon hearing this, but the ladies at the top smiled. The third lady approached the Duke's wife and said, "This cousin of the Wang family is indeed very dignified. I think she is a capable person to manage the family."

The Second Madam smiled meaningfully, and said to the Third Madam angrily, "Yun An has a good eye."

The third wife smiled and replied, "It's not that I have good eyesight." Then she nodded to the lady at the top of the table, "I think the lady has already had this plan in mind." Seeing that the Duke's wife didn't say anything, the second wife pushed her and said, "Why? Such a good girl, you are not satisfied? I think she is a perfect match for Ji'er."

"Yes." The third lady echoed.

The Duke's wife remained silent. Seeing that the two sisters-in-law kept talking, she cleared her throat and replied in a cold voice, "Enjoy the show."

The second and third wives looked at each other and fell silent.

The mansion was immersed in excitement when suddenly a piece of bad news came from the palace.

Concubine Shu attempted to poison Concubine Duan, but the Emperor was so angry that he confined her to Yilan Palace.

Poisoning in the harem or murdering the saint's concubines is a heinous crime that will bring disaster to the entire family.

In an instant, the Ningguo Mansion was in a state of panic as a storm was about to come.

It was not until the late night that Lu Ji and Lu Yu returned. The two brothers went straight to the front yard and discussed the matter all night.

The next day, Qin Xiaoning didn't see Lu Ji either.

She didn't know the specific situation, but she heard the manager tell her in the yard that no one in the room or yard was allowed to go out during the next few days.

In the palace, Concubine Duan was poisoned by Concubine Shu, and she was able to survive only after being treated by the imperial physician.

Concubine Duan was lying on the bed, with Prince Jin standing by her side.

"Mother, this is too risky. That is Hedinghong. If you really can't save her, what shall I do?"

Concubine Duan was weak, but she was overjoyed to learn that Concubine Shu had been confined to her house and that the emperor, in a rage, had ordered the inner court to conduct a thorough investigation.

"Mother knows what's going on. The dosage was determined after the imperial physician weighed it several times." She said to her son with a hint of expectation, "As long as we can get Concubine Shu to fall this time, we will have no rivals. The position of crown prince will naturally be yours."

Prince Jin had a mixed look on his face: "I'm afraid the Lu family won't give up so easily."

Concubine Duan said, "Although Lu Ji is powerful and Lu Yu is not an easy person to deal with, no matter how powerful the Lu family is, they are still subordinates. Don't worry, according to my mother's repeated probing of Your Majesty, your father has long been afraid of the Lu family. This time, my mother is just following your father's wishes and helping him eliminate the biggest threat in his heart."

Prince Jin is already an adult, so he naturally has his own thoughts. Hearing this, he sighed and said, "I'm afraid that my father is not only afraid of the Lu family, but also doesn't want to let the Jiang family become too powerful."

"That can't be done." Concubine Duan said firmly, "After all, our Jiang family is a civil servant family, and it's not as important as a military general."

Then he taught his son, "You don't have to worry about anything for now. Your grandfather and mother have already made arrangements in the inner court. It won't take a few days to convict Concubine Shu. Your priority is to do your job well. The winter solstice is coming soon. Your father will personally offer sacrifices to the heavens and ancestors. He has asked you to be the chief planner for this matter. This is a great opportunity for you to perform well. You must plan well to win your father's favor."

King Jin said: "If you want to win the favor of the emperor, you should do something earth-shattering, such as helping the emperor to eliminate the vassal kings. Only in this way can the emperor look at me with new eyes."

As he spoke, he showed disdain on his face: "Although the winter solstice ancestor worship is important, it is just a formality. It is not worth your attention."

Concubine Duan agreed in her heart, but she still advised her son, "Although this annual sacrifice is just a formality, it is also a grand ceremony. All the civil and military officials are watching. It is also a good opportunity to show off. Don't be careless."

The King of Jin said perfunctorily, "Your son knows."

Concubine Duan was pleased and encouraged her son again, "You are the eldest son of the emperor, and your grandfather is a veteran of three dynasties. If you behave well, the position of crown prince will definitely be yours."

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　　(End of this chapter)